Glare shield



5. MURATA GLARE SHIELD June 10, 1941.

Filed, Feb. 18, 1939 INVENTOR. Ma W A TTORNEY.

Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED STATE a PATENT OFFICE GLARE SHIELB SelzoMurata, San Francisco, Calif.-

Application February 18, 1939, Serial No. 257,093

2 Claims. (Cl. 296-97) The present invention relates to glare shields,and particularly to devices adapted for use in automobiles to protectthe driver's eyes from unusual light or glare.

The conventional sunshade commonly used in automobiles is in the form ofa panel hinged to the interior of the driving compartment just above thewindshield, so that the driver may swing it down to a position where itwill protect his eyes from the direct rays of the sun. These sunshadesafford no relief from indirect sunlight nor from glare resulting fromvarious other causes, such, for example, as the lights from approachingvehicles at night.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a glare shieldcapable of attachment to the conventional sunshade of an automobile, andconstructed for adjustable positioning by means of such attachment."

It is a further object of the invention to provide a glare shield simpleand inexpensive in construction, and in which the filter medium may beconveniently released if it becomes damaged or worn or if it is desiredto change the color. or other filtering properties of same.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,although the invention is not intended to be limited by the form shown,and is described in detail in the following specification, whereinreference is made to the drawing, and wherein further objects andadvantages of the invention are made apparent.

In the drawing-- I Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a conventionalsunshade with a glare shield embodying the present invention attachedthereto;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the sunshade and glare shield illustratedin Fig. 1, showing the glare shield in a different position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-I'V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the frame shown in Fig. 3,illustrating a locking means attached thereto; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of the same.

The invention, as illustrated in the drawing, and especially in Figures1 and 2, is shown as comprising a glare shield, generally indicated atl0. attached to the conventional sunshade II. The sunshade II is usuallysecured at a position above the windshield in the driver's compartmentof an automobile by means of pivotal supporting brackets shown at l2.Through the medium of the sunshade, and which are preferably arranged inpairs supported on plates Hi.

Details of construction of the clips I5 are illustrated in Fig. 4, inwhich the plates l6 are shown as supporting pivot pins 11, which in turnpivotally support the clip members l5. A spring 18 is provided to urgethe clip member l5 toward a closed position so that a serrated edge ISon the clip engages with the face of the sunshade to form a firmconnection therewith. The plates it, which are'thus supported adjacentand parallel to the vertical edges of the sunshade, support inwardlyextending rods 20 at their lower ends.v The rods 20 extend toward eachother in alignment and enter opposite ends of a tube 2i which is free topivot about the rods. The fit between the rods 20 and the tubes H issufficiently tight to cause frictional resistance to turning of the tubeupon the rods, and this resistance to turning may be increased ifdesired by imparting a very slight bend to either or both of the rods20.

The frame l3, which embraces the filter medium [4, is secured to thetube 2|. As the plates IS, with their associated clips I5 and rods 20,are formed as separate members, the device may be applied to sunshadesof different dimensions by simply varying the distance that the rods 20enter the tube 2|. Likewise by virtue of this construction the glareshield may be adjustably positioned with relation to the sunshade, as itis free to slide to left or right on the rods 28.

Due tothe pivotal connection above described,

the glare shield may be swung from its operative position, illustratedin full lines in Fig. l, to the inoperative position, illustrated indotted lines. Furthermore, when the sunshade is not in use,

, it may be swung upwardly with the glare shield positioned on its topside and out of sight. The glare shield may also be raised and loweredfor the accommodation of drivers who sit in a different position in theautomobile, and to afford protection from glare striking the eyes fromdifferent levels, by swinging the sunshade upward- 1y or downwardlyabout its pivotal supports l2 and then adjusting the glare shield aboutthe rods." until it assumes a substantially vertical position.

The frame B may be of any suitable construction, and any light filteringmedium may be used within the frame. An unbreakable filter medium is,however, preferred, and any of several cellulose or plastic basecompositions are suitable for this purpose and may be obtained indifferent colors to suit the taste of the individual driver. In order toprovide a great range in filter mediums, I have found it desirable touse a very thin substance of the nature of Cellophane, which may beobtained in different colors, and of which more than one thickness maybe used, and more than one color, so that the user may adapt the glareshield to his own particular needs by placing in the frame any colors orcombination of colors, and any number of thicknesses of the filtermedium that is desired.

In order that the filter medium may be readily changed, I have provideda frame, the construction of which is illustrated in Fig. 3, in whichthe main frame portion 13 is formed preferably of pressed metal with across-section which provides an inclined surface 24 surrounding theframe opening. A clamping frame 25, also preferably constructed ofpressed metal, fits within 7 the frame I3and causes the filter medium Mto be gripped around its periphery at'the inclined surface 24 andtightly stretched across the frame opening. The clamping frame 25 isfrictionally held in this position and may be removed for the purpose ofremoving and replacing the filter medium I. Where thin sheets of coloredmaterial such as Cellophane are used as a filter medium, more than onesheet may readily be placed in the framein the manner just described sothat it is possible to increase the thickness, to combine colors, or tootherwise vary the filtering properties of the glare shield.

Ordinarily, the frictional contact between the frame l3 and the clampingframe 25 will be sufficient to retain these frames against separation.

member 30 is shown as pivotally mounted on a pin 3|, which is sweatedinto one of the grooves of the frame l3. Finger 32, bent from one end ofthe member 30 at an angle thereto, as shown in Figure 6, is arranged tounderlie the outer edge of the clamping frame 25 when in the full lineposition illustrated in Fig. 6, and to swing free of said edge when thelocking member is pivoted about the pin 3| to the dotted line positionillustrated in Fig. 6-.- Such locking members may be employed in anydesired number at sultably spaced intervals around the edge of the frameto secure the clamping frame against ac-- cidental removal.

While the foregoing description is directed to a specific form of theinvention, it is to be understood that various changes may be resortedto in the construction and arrangement of the parts described within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A bracket for securing a'glare shield to a generally rectangularsunshade of an automobile which comprises, means engageable withopposite edges of the sunshade and supporting a pair of rods extendingcoaxially and toward each other parallel to another edge of thesunshade, and a tubular member embracing the ends of said rods andsupporting the glareshield-whereby the rods may be adjusted to and awayfrom each other and the glareshield will be free to pivot and slide withrespect to the rods.

2. A bracket for securing a glare shield to a generally rectangularautomobile sunshade, which comprises a pair of plates adapted to lieparallel to two opposite vertical edges of the sunshade, means carriedby said plates engageable with said edges to retain them in position, apair of rods supported at the lower ends of said plates and extendingcoaxially toward each other and parallel to a horizontal edge of thesunshade, and a tubular member embracing the ends of said rods andsupporting the glare shield whereby the rods are free to move to andaway from each other upon attachment of the bracket to .sunshades ofdifferent widths and the glare shield will be free to pivot and slidewith respect to the rods.

SEIZO MURATA.

